ridecamp@endurance.net: Thumper-the 1/4 Horse with an Attitude!

Thumper-the 1/4 Horse with an Attitude!

Joane Pappas White (lyoness@castlenet.com)
Sat, 02 Aug 1997 21:47:38 -0700

>To: TBlazer051@aol.com
>From: lyoness@castlenet.com (Joane Pappas White)
>Subject: Thumper-the 1/4 Horse with an Attitude!
>
>
>
> THUMPER THE QUARTER HORSE "WITH AN ATTITUDE"
>
>Excuse the length of this ride story, but there is so much to tell about
this wonderful event.
>
>Before sharing the story of our ride, let me first say that the Parowan to
Brian Head Ride in Utah was a great success. The Ride Manager Gwen Farmer
did a wonderful job and had an outstanding support staff. Everyone had a
good time and a lot of laughs--particularly at me. I will start by
reminding you all that "he who laughs last, laughs loudest and longest".
>
>My equally novice friend Tonda Jensen and I started our adventure to
Parowan (only our second 30 miler) on Friday--2 hours late! A tire on the
trailer decided to attract a nail overnight, which I immediately interpreted
as a bad omen. The dark thunder clouds and ominous weather forecast did
nothing to dispell my concerns. Times like Friday afternoon make me question
my sanity, particularly when I'm loading my trusty 1250 pound 1/4 horse
Thumper. (By the way, I'm auditioning Thumper's replacement which is another
great story for another time). On second thought, maybe Thumper's
performance this weekend had something to do with his impending retirement!
>
>After a somewhat dubious start, we raced TO Parowan. It is nice to have a
friend with a Powerstroke Ford Turbo and a big six horse 5th wheel trailer.
It gave me some sense of security to remember your discussions on Ridecamp
about how safe these outfits were as we were flying down the Interstate. I
did sheepishly remind Tonda that her lawyer could not do much to help her if
we were both sitting in jail for reckless driving--besides, who would take
care of our horses?
>
>Everything went exactly as you experienced riders predicted on Ridecamp.
We had packed everything (including the kitchen sink) and couldn't find
anything at ride time--especially the list of "what not to forget". We did
not have a crew. They quit after our first Endurance Ride. No one has
volunteered since!
>
>We didn't arrive until late Friday night so we vetted in on the morning of
the ride. Interesting how everyone smiles as I walk Thumper to the vet.
The Arabs are prancing and excited; Thumper is still asleep. His resting
pulse is one beat above dead. The vet checked him over and gave him all
A's--except attitude and that was a B. (I read that part to Thumper hoping
that the insult would fire him up).
>
>At start time, we were off with the leaders. Tonda's little Snowy River
was actually moving forward! This was a major accomplishment. When her
husband first brought him home 6 months ago (of course telling her that she
had to have an Arab for endurance), I asked if he planned on collecting on
her life insurance. The farrier had to sedate the poor little thing just to
get the old shoes off of him. The Vets still won't do some of the tests on
him--they just wrote "KICKS" all over his vet card! Yesterday, Snowy River
showed his true colors and won the Gold Medal for the Utah Summer Games.
Actually, he was not quite first because you had to pay an extra entry fee
to be part of the Utah Games and the first place rider had not paid the fee.
Who won? We never saw anyone ahead of Tonda. What? Someone came in 45
minutes ahead of her on a WHAT? A giant Mule! A Non Arab? Quite bluntly--the
Mule kicked our Butts! And we never even saw him!
>
>Now, my dear sweet calm quarter horse has been hanging around your Arabs
too long. He stayed with Tonda to the fifteen mile vet check. The ladies
at P & R offered a curtesy check for the "lovely quarter horse" and were
astonished as they announced that he had the best P&R at that time. The vet
at this stop pointed out that he LIKED the 1/4 horse attitude! Thump
immediately grazed off--eating and drinking everything in sight. Afterall,
he is a ranch horse and these great mountain trails and aspen forests at
9000 feet are home to him. Reins? My roping rein is fine around his neck.
He is a 1/4 horse--he is not going anywhere except to lunch.
>
>Now we are headed back down. Gee Thump, do we really have to keep up with
Tonda and Snowy River? Aren't you tired? I know you have the longest trot
here but we don't really have to do this--afterall, you're a 1/4 horse. Then
we reached a checkpoint at the end of a very steep trail. I stopped to
adjust my Sport Saddle which, by now, had climbed Thumper's neck. I pulled
the saddle and pad off just as the gentleman at the checkpoint scrapped a
chair on the ground and my sweet 1/4 horse spooked (hey wait that's an Arab
thing!). Thumper then looked down the road in total disgust that we were so
far behind our trail buddies. As I grasped for the rein (with remembered
warnings from my cowboy friends echoing in my ears), Thump just trotted off
and left me! My 1/4 horse would never LEAVE me!
>
>Word spread like wildfire (or at least radio fire) that a riderless AND
SADDLELESS horse was on the trail. As I was securing my saddle, Mike
Thornton trotted off the trail. He smiled indulgently at the saddle sitting
in the middle of the road. I told him Thumper would stop for lunch at the
bottom of the mountain and asked him to tie Thump up--as I would be hiking
down shortly. Three and a half long (and thank God downhill miles later), I
walked around a bend in the road to see that Mike had found Thumper and was
walking both our horses back. THANKS MIKE!
>
>Now what? Can't quit--this is endurance--right? Bareback up the mountain
(have you ever tried to get up on a quarter horse which is 15.3 after you
have hicked 3 1/2 miles). Retrieve the saddle from the surprised checkpoint
crew and start again. By now I haven't seen another horse for what seemed
like hours. Thumper is pouting because all the Arabs have gone and I figured
we had to be the last team on the mountain. We were past the 7 hour
completion mark so there was no sense in pushing. We walked and trotted and
Thump just kept trying to get me to GO HOME. Where did this spirit come
from? We don't need to do this Thump. Your are only a quarter horse--remember?
>
>Finally, The finish line is in sight. A P&R volunteer yells to "get him in
now"--we are WHAT? TOP TEN! HOW? Thump runs into P&R at an Arab pulse rate
of 42. His final vet check was all A's--including ATTITUDE! I'm in shock.
Out of 24 riders we are in 9th place--and did an extra 7 miles (on foot).
>
>As it turned out, the ride was very long (30 miles?) for everyone. Out of
24 starting riders, only 3 (the Mule, Tonda and Mike Thornton--at least I
didn't cost him a completion) made it in under 7 hours. It was a beautiful,
rugged and exciting ride--even from my perspective--the ground. Well,
Thump, shall we try for 50 miles at Deer Springs and show them what a
quarter horse can do?
>
>Joane and Thumper the Wonderful 1/4 Horse with an Attitude!
>
>
>Joane Pappas White
>Lyoness@Castlenet.com
>390 Madison Ave.
>Price, Utah 84501
>(801)637-0177 (office)
>(801)637-5681
>
>[Chapter Two is coming separately]
>

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